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About Us

Chapter Staff & Board Members

Chapter Administration

Charles DeLorey, PGA

Charles grew up in a military family and spent the early years of his life traveling frequently and abroad. He was fortunate enough to spend 7 years in Europe (Italy & Germany) adapting to different cultures. Finally settling down in North Carolina is where Charles learned to play golf at the age of 10. He has had success playing golf at the highest levels; NCAA Div III National Championships, California & U.S. Amateur and the PGA National Championship.

He moved to the Coachella Valley to teach elementary school (Sunny Sands Elementary). With a strong desire to still play competitive golf, he returned to the golf business where he received his PGA Class A certification in 2002. In the twenty years Charles has lived in the Coachella Valley, he has worked at several facilities:

Bermuda Dunes CC. (PGA Tour Bob hope Chrysler Classic)

Trilogy Golf Club at LaQuinta. (PGA Tour Skins Game)

Landmark Golf Club. (PGA Tour Skins Game)

Indian Canyons Golf Resort. (Palm Springs City Amateur)

Palm Desert Country Club (2006 Renovation of the Year – Golf Inc Magazine)

As a professional, he has four wins, seven hole-in-one’s and his career competitive low round is 64 (Several Courses) and low round is 61 at Marriott Shadow Ridge.

Charles has been married for 20 years to his wife Janelle and they have 2 children (Sebastian & Sahalee). His wife works part time as an Administrative Assistant for a law office. Sebastian is a freshman at Southern Adventist University (Tennessee) studying Film to become a Cinematographer. Sahalee is a Sophomore at Mesa Grande Academy and aspires to become an Orthodontist.

Beatrice Padilla

life skills coach – level 1

Beatrice Padilla serves as a Life Skills Coach Level I at The First Tee of the Coachella Valley. With a love for working with children, she has worked at Desert Recreation District for 11 years, first as a recreation leader, and then coaching gymnastics for the past 10 years. Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, Beatrice is the youngest of four children. She loves watching movies, taking long naps and reading a good book.

Golf Center Staff

Romel Baluga

lead pro shop

Romel Baluga has been with the Golf Center since April 2017, where he is responsible for the daily operations of the pro shop. Previously he has worked at the PGA Superstore and has extensive experience in graphic arts as well, experience which is well-utilized at The Golf Center and for The First Tee.

Romel has a BS in Civil Engineering from New Era University in the Philippines and also graduated as an Emergency Medical Responder from College of the Desert. He spent 19 years in offset and digital printing before deciding to pursue a career in customer service. A proud husband and a father of three smart kids, Romel is a musician, songwriter and composer. He moved at the age of 15 from the Philippines, to Guam, and eventually to California. Romel believes “The goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best, but legendary.” – Sam Walton

Paul GrushkaPro Shop760-779-1877

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Paul Grushka

Pro Shop

Phone: (760) 779-1877

Paul retired from the Title/Escrow industry after 41 years in management and sales. He currently lives in Sun City with Jan, his wife of 40 years. Paul has three children, three grandchildren and one great grandson. When not working at The First Tee, he enjoys playing golf, reading, traveling, and volunteering at Eisenhower Medical Center.

Paul says, “Working at The First Tee has given me a new sense of purpose. The interaction with the customers and kids is extremely gratifying.”

Larry Schelhorse, PhDPro Shop(760) 779-1877

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Larry Schelhorse, PhD

Pro Shop

Phone: (760) 296-2431

Larry started at the Desert Recreation District in 2006 as the Range Manager. He did the initial research into The First Tee organization for the District and underwent the initial Volunteer Coaches training. He holds a PhD in Economics. He worked for San Diego Gas and Electric Company as the head of System Forecasting, with responsibility for both short and long-term forecasts of future energy demand. He retired as a Regulatory Economics Manager from Semper Energy, where he was part of the team that developed Performance-based Ratemaking as an alternative to traditional Cost of Service regulation. He married his wife, JoAnn, forty-nine years ago. They have three children and six grandchildren, ages 7 to 18; all the grandchildren have their own golf clubs and enjoy playing with Grandpa as much as he enjoys playing with them.

Mike UcciPro Shop760-779-1877

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Mike Ucci

Pro Shop

Phone: (760) 779-1877

A Chicago resident his whole life, Mike Ucci retired in 2000 from working in the Stock Market for 35 years. He moved to the desert to be closer to his family, two daughters and two grandsons who live in California. Mike has been married for fifty years. He and his wife have been volunteers at Eisenhower Hospital and The First Tee for several years. They enjoy giving back.

Dan CantoniPro Shop(760) 779-1877

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Dan Cantoni

Pro shop

Phone: (760) 779-1877

William MacDonald Jr.Pro Shop(760) 779-1877

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William MacDonald Jr.

Joseph LevinePro Shop(760) 779-1877

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Joseph Levine

Coaching Staff

Eric Solander, PGA

lIFE SKILLS COACH – Level III

Eric Solander serves as lead coach for The First Tee of the Coachella Valley. As a Level III Coach he teaches a variety of classes to all ages. Eric grew up in Missoula, Montana. He started playing golf at the age of 12. During his time at Sentinel High School, he was a four-year varsity player on the golf team. Following his dream to play professional golf, he landed in The Coachella Valley. He has worked at Thunderbird Country Club, The Palms Golf Club and currently is the lead teaching professional at The Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Eric graduated in Business Administration – Accounting from California State University San Bernardino. He also is a Class A member of the PGA of America. His greatest loves are wife Jody, his family and dog Ernie. Eric believes that “Good things happen when you work hard and never stop believing.”

Mauricio Alvarez

LIFE SKILLS COACH – level I

Having been born into a family where golf was never thought of, The First Tee really was the stepping stone that got Mauricio to develop the passion for the game that he has now. Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, the First Tee taught Mauricio the fundamentals of golf while also making him the person he is today. A graduate of Rancho Mirage High School in 2017 and now a student at College of the Desert, Mauricio still strives to learn more and more each day in order to give back and teach all he knows about the game of golf and life as well. Being able to work at the First Tee has been an amazing experience so far; to experience several life changing moments with his students is what he truly enjoys when working as a lead coach. Mauricio’s goal as lead coach is to provide as much knowledge of both golf and life skills to his students in order to provide them all the opportunities needed to accomplish their goals.

Board Members

Mike Wales – President

board president

Mike Wales has been the president of the board of directors of The First Tee since 2015. His goal is to build on the great history and foundation of helping kids here in the Coachella Valley. With a teenage daughter in the program, Mike is honored to be the board president as we expand the reach and impact of The First Tee.

As Senior Human Capital Management Consultant at Paychex, Mike has more than 20 years of experience in business and human resources. He has been the chairman of the board of directors for the EDD Employer Advisory Council since 2016 and has served on the board since 2014. Additionally, Mike has been the program chair since 2014 for PIHRA Coachella Valley. Originally from South Bend, Indiana; Mike has BA in Economics with a focus on Labor Economics from Indiana University Bloomington. Mike believes that Kids + First Tee = Lifelong Success.

Michael Ventura – Vice President

Board Member

Michael Ventura is the assistant principal and athletic director of Palm Springs High School. He obtained his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State University Sacramento, Masters from University of Nevada Las Vegas, his teaching credential from Cal State University of San Bernardino and his Administration Credential from National University.

Michael has spent15 of his 16 years in the Coachella Valley at PSHS. Michael was the head athletic trainer for 13 years at PSHS. In 2006, administration was able to approve a Sports Medicine Regional Occupational Program. He spent 10 years building the Sports Medicine Program from the ground up. This developed him into the Director and CTE Instructor of Palm Springs Academy for Learning Medicine (P.A.L.M.) which gave him a great experience as a leader. The primary focus of the academy is Health Career, Patient Care and Sports Medicine. He has taught a number of CTE courses related to the medical field. In addition, he has been an adjunct professor for College of the Desert.

His family has lived in the city of Palm Springs for 15 years and absolutely love being a part of our community. His wife, Stacey Ventura teaches at Agua Caliente Elementary. His children Morgan and Blake excel at Katherine Finchy Elementary and are members of The First Tee of the Coachella Valley. Over the years he has had the chance to work with many individuals and families of Palm Springs. His experience and dedication to Palm Springs High School has helped him develop a strong relationship with the community coaches and athletic personal throughout the community. He looks forward to continuing to grow as a community leader and grow the game of golf with his ties to education and the west side of the valley.

Mohab Suliman – Secretary

board member

Mohab Suliman is a business manager at Gulf California Broadcasting Company which includes KESQ News Channel 3, CBS Local 2, and KUNA Noticias. A highly analytical professional, he has more than 15 years of progressive experience in diverse professional settings. He is specifically skilled in creating financial reports that contribute to setting strategic direction and making critical business decisions.

Mohab has an MBA in Management Information Systems from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from California State University, Northridge.

Mohab was first introduced to The First Tee as part of classes at the preschool his daughter attended, and she has now completed a year of Little Linksters. He has been impressed by the program and looks forward to participating in the growth of The First Tee.

Rudy Barela, CPA – Treasurer

Jon Proctor

board member

Phone: (559) 284-5060Email: jonkproctor@att.net

Jon K. Proctor has worked in the life insurance business since 1964, with the same company representing many businesses and families in several states. He and his wife, Joan, moved to the Coachella Valley from Fresno in 2014. Jon became involved in the with The First Tee in Fresno in 2009, chairing an independent charity golf tournament to benefit the local chapter. That independent charity still donates all funds to The First Tee of Fresno. To continue his support, Jon became involved with The First Tee of the Coachella Valley and was elected to the board of directors in 2015, serving on fundraising committees and chairing the annual First Tee Invitational Golf Tournament. He has also been very active participating in planning additional events to honor past donors. Jon believes we have great opportunities for our First Tee Chapter as we continue our endeavors to benefit the youth of the Coachella Valley through our Nine Core Values

Christy Majors

Clarice Bozick

Emeritus Board Members

Jim KaneExecutiveCommercial Real Estate

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Jim Kane

Board Member Emeritus

Palm Desert – James Richard Kane passed away peacefully at home on April 11, 2019 at the age of 80. He was born in Salida, Colorado to James and Lois Kane. He graduated Salida High School in 1956 and received an appointment to The United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and graduated in 1960.

His early business and political career ran a crazy gamut from Campbell Soup Company, The Republican Party of Texas, two resort country clubs and concluded with real estate sales at The Vintage Club and Mirada Estates.

Jim fought a very courageous battle with cancer and despite this, he felt that the later years of his life were most productive and satisfying. His marriage was filled with joy, he had a career golf round (74) on Christmas Eve 2018 and teaching golf and serving on the Board of the First Tee of Coachella Valley gave him a sense of fulfillment that he had never experienced.

He also became active in City politics and helped establish a local neighborhood group, Protect http://pdneightborhoods.org/ as an advocate for good public policy with the City of Palm Desert.

Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Chris Flores and Dr. Davood Vafai for their excellent and compassionate care over the years.

Jim is survived by his wife of 20 years, Ellen, children Lois Kane, James Kane and Mikel Kane (Laura), four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Keenan Barber, M.D.SCGA President SCGA Foundation(760) 328-4192

Scott KinerCEOKiner Communication(760) 779-1877

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First Tee’s Reach

Our chapter is one of many in theFirst Tee network. First Tee is reaching young people in all 50 states and select international locations on golf courses, in elementary schools and through other youth-serving organizations.